


When All Of the Color Runs Together

by Meddalarksen



Series: Fic Snippets [4]
Category: X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Banshee!Sean, Gen, Magician!Charles, Urban fantasy noir sort of?, fic snippet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-07
Updated: 2017-04-14
Packaged: 2018-09-22 14:33:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9611702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meddalarksen/pseuds/Meddalarksen
Summary: In an attempt to find all the information he can before entering into a deal with the fair folk, Alex finds himself sent from one end of the city to the other in the hope of finding answers to his questions.





	1. Trying to See a Soul to Rest

Two days after his encounter with the fae, Angel, Alex had found a note folded carefully on his pillow. He had been deeply tempted to burn it, but had kept it and the information inside. Which was how, nearly a month later, he came to find himself standing in front of a pub with a sign in the shape of a well with a drop of water on it and the words “The weeping well” etched into the wood. He checked the note once more before he pushed open the door. It felt like something slithered over his skin as he did so but he shook that off and made his way to the bar, catching the bar tender’s eye. When the man reached him Alex considered just ordering a drink and leaving, but he was curious. “The messenger told me to ask for the banshee.”

The barkeep nodded and opened his mouth but before he could say anything a voice came from behind Alex, “It’s Bean Sidhe, but you’ve been out of the family shadow too long to remember that. Come sit down. Kevin, be so good as to send a drink for our friend to my table.”

Alex turned, only barely registering the bar tender nodding in response. The man in front of him looked to be about his own age, his bright red hair and green eyes catching the dim lights and seeming to crackle with a fire of mirth, “The Bean Sidhe then.”

The man grinned, an expression that looked like it wasn’t often missing, “You found him. Come join me for a drink and tell me why that girl would send you here.”

Alex found himself drawn to a table in the far corner of the pub before he managed to get his thoughts in order, “Aren’t you supposed to be a—”

“A woman? Usually, yes. I’m not a full banshee, we’ll use your word. We’re in your land after all. It’s a family tradition that the oldest daughter get the curse, but well when the sixth son was born it apparently got tired of waiting,” he said, grinning again.

Alex eyed the smile, feeling like there was something sharp in it that he wasn’t quite certain of, “What can I call you?”

“Ah, you do know how to do this. I go by Sean. Now, what did Angel tell you to come find me for?” He accepted a drink from the barmaid who swept past setting down two drinks on the table.

“I’m not here for what she sent me for. I’m here to find out more,” Alex said.

Sean pushed his mug aside at that, looking closer at Alex and his expression immediately grew serious, “You’ve been touched by death. And recently too.”

“Two months, give or take a week,” Alex said. “She claims that he’s with the unseelie. That he’s suffering. Offered to give him back to me.”

“And you’re here because?”

“Because she said that when I was ready I had to get a message to her. Through you.”

Sean leaned back in his seat, shaking his head, “That’s not why you’re here. You already told me you’re not here for what she sent you for. And even if you were I’d caution you against it. That sort of magic, even if they do have whoever you’re after, is _costly_. More than any mortal can pay.”

“I’m fae-touched,” Alex said.

“No shit. You wouldn’t be sitting in front of me if you weren’t at least a little bit. They don’t make those offers to everyone,” Sean said. “But it’s still costly. Now, what do you want?”

Alex twisted his hands together for a minute, “I want to know how to confirm what she said is true.”

“You can’t,” Sean said frankly, looking like he wished he could say something else. “She’s not constrained by the truth-telling as some are. She doesn’t often lie, but there’s no way to restrict her to the truth either. You have to choose whether to take her word for it or not.”

“I can’t take that risk. I can’t go into this blind,” Alex said, leaning forward, his voice dropping.

“Then you don’t take the deal. You can’t prove she’s lying and you can’t prove she’s not,” Sean said.

“But you could. You’re closer to—”

Sean’s eyes widened, “And this is where I’m going to stop you. I don’t go into the Courts. I’ve got blood of the Bean Sidhe, but I’m not a full-blooded one and to step into the Courts is as sure my death as yours. I don’t do favors that’ll get me killed, thanks no.”

Alex’s shoulders slumped and he rubbed a frustrated hand through his hair, “If I can’t confirm I don’t…if he’s suffering then it’s my fault.”

“I’m going to get in so much trouble for this,” Sean muttered before he finally leaned forward. “There’s someone who might, might mind you, be able to help. He’s not fae-touched. Hasn’t much to do with fae at all really, but he’s all but buried in magic, you can feel it for miles. Go tell Kevin that I said you should try the Naiad’s Tears and he’ll get you the name and address you’ll need. If anyone can help you with this, or knows someone who can, it’ll be him.”

Alex nodded, “Thank—”

“Don’t thank me. I’m just trying to see a soul to rest,” Sean said, turning his attention back to his drink and almost seeming to fade into the shadows without disappearing.

Taking that for the end of the conversation, Alex got to his feet and went back to the bar. The information about the magician in hand he finally left.


	2. Antithesis of Fae

Alex looked at the note in his hand, shifting his shoulders under his coat as he looked up at the elegant ironwork outside the townhouse in the section of the city he never went. Drawing a deep breath and just hoping he wouldn’t be thrown out without a thought, or possibly worse told to enter through the kitchen, he finally knocked on the dark red door. It opened less than a minute later to reveal a young woman.

Her blond hair was piled up on the top of her head, loosely, and a hat was pinned in place. The ribbon on the hat band matched the bright blue corseted gown she wore under the off-white coat she was fastening the final button on. This was clearly not a servant, “Yes?”

Alex stared for a moment before remembering himself and clearing his throat, touching the brim of his hat, “Ma’am. I’m here to speak with the professor. Sean sent me.”

She rolled her eyes, something he thought most women over a certain class had trained out of them, but then he also probably had no idea what the hell he was talking about. She took a step back, “Come in.” She tipped her head toward the foyer of the townhouse, calling inside, “Charles, there’s another one!”

“I’m in the library, Raven, send them in,” the response echoed back.

“I’m on my way out. Go through into the foyer and then you’ll want the second door on the right,” the woman, Raven, said before sweeping past Alex and out to a carriage that was just pulling to the curb.

He watched her go in shock and considered his chances of just taking something expensive and leaving without anyone noticing. Instead he crossed the threshold, shivering at a feeling like cold water over his skin, and closed the door. Alex made his way carefully along her directions, tapping on the doorframe of what must be the library.

The man inside looked up from the table he was working at, not getting up from his chair, his brown hair hung loosely across his brow and Alex had a fleeting thought that with the amount of money he must have, the professor, Charles?, could probably afford to look less than put together when seeing guests. “Ah, you must be who Raven meant. Would you grab me the blue book from that top shelf over there? The one by Spenser.”

Alex frowned, biting back his first response as he moved over to the ladder of the bookshelf and pushing it in that direction, “You do realize I’m not one of your servants?”

“Considering we have a housekeeper and a cook and a butler, two of whom have today off I should rather think not,” Charles answered, turning back to whatever he was working on. “What brings you to my door?”

“Sean of the Weeping Well told me that you might be able to help me,” Alex said, finally pulling the book off the shelf, though he’d had to wrap an arm through the rails of the ladder to do so. Too many books on the shelf. He frowned when he saw the title of the book in his hand, “Isn’t this fiction?”

“Poetry, and not exactly,” Charles said, finally pushing away from the table and turning….his entire chair. Well, that explained why he hadn’t stood to greet Alex, also why he needed help getting the book.

Alex climbed down the ladder and made his way over, “My name’s Alex. I’m not…sure how exactly Sean thought you could help. He said you deal in magic, but aren’t fae-touched.”

“Whereas you’re fae-touched but don’t deal in magic,” Charles said. “Sean doesn’t know everything.”

Alex set the book down next to Charles and crossed his arms over his chest, “What doesn’t Sean know about you?”

“Nothing of importance. But he may have been right to send you to me. What have you to do with the fae?” Charles asked.

“What makes you think I’ve got anything to do with them?” Alex demanded, the nape of his neck prickling.

“Because my wards caught the feel of fae magic on you and around you,” Charles said, opening the book before setting it aside again.

“And I saw a banshee yesterday.”

Charles offered him a flat look, “Sean has been through my wards before. I know the feeling of his touch and you? You have dealt with other. Faint, but there. And whatever gave you the title of fae-touched. I imagine it’s whatever’s coiling under your skin there.” He gestured toward Alex’s chest, his hand tracing the path of the curling mark on Alex’s torso.

Alex tightened his arms where they were still crossed over his chest, knowing the move was more defensive than anything, "How about you tell me about you instead of telling me about me."

Charles looked him over for a moment and then nodded, "That seems fair. I'm a student of magic, it's in my blood on both sides."

"And the fae never snatched you up? Never 'touched' you?"

"I didn't say that. But no, not in the way you mean. Iron in the weave of my bassinette, in the frame of my childhood bed and forming the frame of my door and windows. Oh, my parents took precautions against any possibility of a changeling child," Charles said. "And never made any deals they couldn't afford."

Alex's eyes narrowed, "You're leaving something out."

"I'm not asking for your life story, I hardly think I owe you mine. You came to me for help, now, what was it you wanted?" Charles said, ice and steel entering his voice and Alex felt the cold like spring rainwater slither over his skin again.

"I need to know how to find out if someone is being held in a fae court," Alex finally said.

"I can't help you. My magic was bound by iron too long, it's the antithesis of fae magic."

Alex grit his teeth at that, "Sean said--"

"Sean doesn't know everything," Charles said, his voice sharp. "I don't interfere with the fae Courts and they leave my warding alone."

"That isn't what you just said. You said it was opposite the fae magic. That means--"

"That means that I don't want to test it against theirs any more than they wish to test theirs against mine," Charles said, his tone holding a strong finality in it.

"You won't even try to help me? Jesus Christ, the banshee's get was more help than you are!"

Charles pursed his lips, his blue eyes like ice, "No. I won't. I'll not get involved in the affairs of the fae." There was the briefest of hesitations, as though a word had been left out, "But I can point you to someone who might."

"And then they'll tell me the same thing and send me to someone else and by the end of this I'll have been all over the damn country and not have come any closer to an answer!" Alex snapped.

"I can't promise that the person I'll suggest will talk to you, but it's possible," Charles said. "But if she will then she'll be the last one you have to talk to."

"Somehow I doubt that." Alex finally uncrossed his arms, "Alright then. Who is it?"

"Oh, you'll need an escort. She's not someone you just approach. Besides, she's notoriously hard to pin down to a location."

"Fantastic. A straight answer this time. Who do I need to talk to?" Alex demanded, having long since lost his patience with the conversation.

"My sister will be able to get you to her. Though, she just left. She, my sister, should be back in an hour or so, if you would like some tea?" Charles asked, suddenly all courtesy.

Alex frowned at that, "Or I could just come back later."

"I'm sure we're far out of your way. You might as well wait for her," Charles said, motioning to some chairs near the window of the library.

"No tea, thanks. I'll wait, though," Alex said before making his way to the windows and then staying standing at least partially out of spite. He could hear his mother's sigh in his mind and his father's wry comment about cutting off limbs for the sake of spite and no other reason. 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm playing fast and loose with different fae mythologies, I admit it. It's more obvious in this one but it's there.


End file.
